An input device includes a housing for supporting a user's hand and a displacement sensor, mounted in the housing, for providing a displacement signal. The input device also includes a first portion of the housing operable to receive a first digit of the user and a first solid-state touch sensor disposed in the first portion and operable to detect movement of the first digit along the first portion. The input device further includes a second portion on the housing operable to receive a second digit of the user and a second solid-state touch sensor disposed in the second portion and operable to detect movement of the second digit along the second portion.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A computer mouse comprising: a housing for supporting a user's hand; a displacement sensor, mounted in the housing, for providing a displacement signal indicating a movement of the housing with respect to a surface; a first, side portion of the housing to receive a thumb of the user; a first, convex solid-state touch sensor disposed in the first side portion to detect a position and gesture movement of the thumb in two dimensions along the first, convex, solid state sensor; a second portion on a top portion of the housing to receive a finger of the user; a second solid-state touch sensor disposed in the second, top portion to detect two-dimensional movement of the finger along the second portion; and a controller, mounted in said housing, and coupled to the first and second solid state sensors, for producing a plurality of gesture signals based on different combinations of sensed motion inputs from the first and second solid state sensors.
2. The computer mouse of claim 1 wherein the displacement sensor comprises an optical sensor.
3. The computer mouse of claim 1 wherein the first portion has a curvature in a second dimension substantially orthogonal to the at least one dimension.
4. The computer mouse of claim 3 wherein the first solid-state touch sensor detects circular motion of the thumb of the user during operation.
5. The computer mouse of claim 1 wherein the second portion is characterized by a curvature in at least one dimension.
6. The computer mouse of claim 5 wherein the curvature in the at least one dimension is convex and the second solid-state touch sensor comprises a linear sensor.
7. A computer mouse comprising: a housing to support a user's hand; a displacement sensor to monitor a movement of the housing relative to a work surface in at least two dimensions; a first two-dimensional, circular, convex touch sensor disposed in the housing which receives a user's thumb during operation, the first touch sensor to detect a position and direction of the user's thumb in two dimensions; a second two-dimensional touch sensor disposed in the housing which receives a user's finger during operation, the second touch sensor to detect a position and direction of the user's finger in two dimensions; and a controller, mounted in said housing, and coupled to the first and second touch sensors, for producing a plurality of gesture signals based on different combinations of sensed motion inputs from the first and second touch sensors.
8. The computer mouse of claim 7 further comprising a third touch sensor disposed in the housing and adjacent a third digit of the user's hand during operation, wherein the third touch sensor comprises a two-dimensional touch sensor and the third digit comprises the user's middle finger.
9. The computer mouse of claim 7 wherein the controller is electrically connected to the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor and operable to: provide common drive signals to the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor; and receive independent feedback signals from the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor.
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November 14, 2011
June 14, 2016
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